Community attachment and housing choice in Hong Kong

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the major pull factors on residents' attachment to their own housing community. This examination will lead to better understanding of consumer behavior in the housing market. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected through a questionnaire survey and examination of the data was conducted by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), which was supplemented by multiple regression analysis. Findings - It was found that two major factors determine community attachment and hence housing choice. Safety of community determines residents' attachment to their own housing community. Sense of belonging affects residents' willingness to stay. It implies that residents do have strong perception of what the image of their own community is like, and positive management of community can enhance such image and therefore the sense of belonging. Research limitations/implications - The database used is relatively small. Originality/value - Neighborhood attachment has been well-researched, but not much has been done in Hong Kong where most housing communities are high rise-high density. An understanding of the factors pulling residents' attachment towards certain housing community will provide more insight into housing choice decision making. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.